Normal People Scare Me
by ElectrickEnigma
Summary: : set post Murder House,changes made to Murder House: Bianca and Angel Harrison are just a mother and daughter trying to get back on their feet after a long hard life and a divorce, Bianca's business going belly up. When she's given a house, she takes it. They figure what's the worst that can happen, right? If only they'd known what lie ahead for them both..
1. New Town New Start

**ONE:**

**New Town, New Start**

As soon as she pulled her car in behind her mother's convertible, the brunette let out a long low whistle as she shook her head, looked up at the house they'd basically been given as some kind of inheritance. "Yeah, mom. Thinking this is a punishment.. Not an inheritance. But... It's got potential... In that Bates Motel kinda way." Angel mumbled as she dug around in her purse for the cherry flavored lipgloss she called her 'signature shade', slicking it on her lips.

She stretched gracefully and got out of the car, her mother Bianca waving her over as she said to the realtor, a flighty and rather nervous looking woman with mousy brown hair named Marcy, "And this is Angel, my daughter. She's 17, she'll be going to Westfield High, provided she doesn't get thrown out on her ass within a week." shooting a light teasing grin to her daughter as Angel shrugged and spoke up, asked casually, "So.. Who the hell did you inherit this place from, Mom?"

"Apparently, Angel, I have a great uncle or something on your grandfather's side of the family, the man who built this house, actually. His name was Charles or something? I forget, really.. Never met the man, they were long dead before I came along."

"Wonder if this fucking house killed him?" Angel mused under her breath as she looked at the realtor who said stiffly, "Speaking of that.. I am required by law to tell you two there have been things.. They've happened here, but it was a long time ago.. The last incident was at least 3 years ago, a girl about your age committed suicide here."

Angel's ears perked. She loved a good ghost story as much as the next typical teenage girl did. "Did she slit her wrists or.." she asked, drawing a glare from her mother indicating she was pushing it as she held her own hands to her throat to indicate hanging, looking at the realtor in wide eyed interest in curiousity.

Marcy gaped at the girl a moment and then said quietly, "She did neither. She overdosed."

"Ahh.. So she took the disgusting way out. Did she like.. Die here?" Angel asked as her mother elbowed her sharply and then said "Evangeline Renee Harrison. That's not appropriate for you to ask, and it's a morbid question."

"Mom, it was just a question, damn." Angel said firmly as she poked out her tongue a moment, said calmly, "Going in now. Going to go find my room. If I'm not back in 15, send a search party." as she laughed, throwing her head back, mocking a ghost sound as she splashed in a puddle of water near the front entrance of the house.

"Is she always that rambunctious?" Marcy asked quietly as Bianca sighed and said quietly, "She's just.. She's not like other girls her age.. She's constantly in trouble, she's been acting out worse lately, since the divorce.. It'll settle down soon hopefully." as Marcy remembered Moira, the help that came with the house. "Oh.. You don't need to hire a housekeeper. Nobody would probably take your offer, but aside from that, there is already a nice little old lady who stops in at least 3 times a week to clean.. Her name's Moira, she's been with the house for years now."

"I'm not too sure about... I mean money, it's tight right now. The divorce." Bianca trailed off as she sighed and then Marcy answered "Money is nothing. She comes with the house, it's a package type deal I suppose. All of the more recent previous owners have used her, they all loved her... If you need a good shrink, for that girl of yours, ma'am.. His name is Dr. Ben Harmon, he lives in that little Mediterranean style one story just down the road there.. The black SUV in the yard? That's his place. He sees patients in his house."

Bianca took the shrinks card, pocketed it. Angel was a little wild, but she wasn't entirely sure if it warranted a shrink or anything, but given the recent traumas of their lives, she might just hang on to it, just in case.

Upstairs, Angel walked down the hallway, opening doors, peeking into rooms, curious, exploring the house. She was partially trying to pick a good room, and partially just being nosy. The door two down from the room her mother must have already chosen swung open.

"Okay casper." she laughed as she stepped into the room, spinning around, looking at it from all angles. It had a large bay window, it's own personal bathroom, even one of those claw footed tubs she'd always wanted to have in her own bathroom.

"Well hot damn.. From a little house in Georgia to this.. Girl, you are movin on up." Angel mumbled to herself as she felt a slight cool breeze blow past her, almost as if someone touched her. She froze a moment, then muttered quietly, "Probably nothing. It's an old house, it'll be drafty, duh." before dropping her leopard print overnight bag on the floor, putting her purse down on top of it after grabbing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter that her mother had no idea she even had.

Shutting the door behind her, she walked back downstairs and out into the yard, ducking out of sight on the side of the house, sitting on the railing of a crappy wooden gazebo that looked to have just been added on to the house in the past few years.

She could hear her mother talking, she was probably still talking to the realtor. "Not sure if I like that woman, honestly. She's hiding something."

She lit her cigarette and took a deep inhale, exhaling the smoke into the evening sky in plumes as she hummed and tapped her feet against the wooden post attached to the railing around the gazebo she was currently perched on.

A male voice drifted through the evening air and Angel raised a brow, hopped down from the railing, walking around the house.

"You better not have been smoking Evangeline Renee Harrison." her mother said as Angel waved her mother off and said simply, "I was just sitting on that thing in the back yard. Looking at the sky?" as she nodded her head in the direction of a dark haired man with almost piercing blue green eyes. "Who's he?" while smirking, giving her mother a cheeky wink and nudge, whispering in a loud tone, "Way to go mama cita.. Only here one hour and already you're moving on."

Bianca blushed and elbowed her daughter then said to Ben, the neighbor Marcy mentioned earlier, "This is my daughter, Angel.. She's just kidding."

"I'm totally not kidding sir.. My mother needs a decent guy. My father was dog shit, really." Angel said honestly as Ben studied her a moment, amusement in his eyes. It'd been a long time since he'd had any sort of a reason to smile.

Losing your wife and your teenage daughter, your newborn twins.. It'll take the will to live right out of you. He hadn't moved because if he tried, he remembered that he tied all the money they'd had into this lemon he stood in the yard of now, and he had nowhere else to go, and no money to go there, even if he wanted to now. His 'client list' was a joke, really. He'd lost so many clients when everything began happening when he lived here in this house that it was pathetic.

"She reminds me a little of Violet.. Violet would've been 19 this year.." Ben said as he trailed off, coughing a little. Angel studied the man a moment and said quietly, "I'm sorry.. I mean for your loss.."

"You take it one day at a time. Hurts like hell, but one day at a time is all you can really do." Ben admitted as Angel nodded and then said to her mother, "Well.. I'm gonna go back up to my room now. When the movers finally drag ass here, call me down, I'll help you get our shit in." hugging her mom before jogging indoors.

Discussing emotions always made her antsy, she didn't like it, she was a stiff and slightly less than emotional person. It'd taken a lot for her to actually say what she had to the man her mother was talking to, but she wasn't going to look like an inhuman cold hearted bitch either.

Ben turned his gaze to Bianca and said quietly, "She'll be okay I think. Divorces are hell.. I mean if you really think she needs to talk, send her to me. I'll gladly take on a new patient. I just.. I want to help someone, maybe stop them from doing what Violet wound up doing." as Bianca nodded and said politely, "Thanks.. She's never been really emotional.. I mean anger? She's good with it.. Happiness? She's great with.. Sadness and anything like that, she just sort of shoves deep down, ignores. It worries me sometimes.. Her father and I.. We fought a lot. Physically and verbally." Bianca winced as she said the last part, added quietly, "I didn't want to stay, but I was too afraid to leave him. When he finally hit his worst last year and I saw him lay hands on her, I got us the hell out of there. I couldn't raise her like I was raised."

Ben nodded and said "I do family sessions. But if you just want to come over, talk to me, I'd like that.. I don't really have many friends now, don't get out much."

"Me either." Bianca admitted as she looked up at one of the upper windows, saw her daughter standing in it, watching them with an amused smirk on her face.

Angel shut her curtains and then peered into the bathroom. She could've sworn she heard a cabinet bang shut... "Just my imagination." she affirmed as she walked downstairs and into the kitchen to grab an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter.

A girl's giggle from behind her, her sleeve being tugged had her shrieking a moment, dropping the apple she'd only just bitten into, her hand on her heart as she looked at a girl with dark brown hair. "You're gonna die here." the girl said as Angel raised a brow then said "Yeah, duh, if you keep popping up like that and doing that giggling shit, you'll give me a heart attack, kid." as she added with a slightly softer smile, a softer tone, she didn't have it in her heart to be mean to the kid, she looked like she had either Downs or some other disease, "What's your name?"

"Addie. Call me Addie."

"Hi Addie. I'm Angel. Want an apple or something?" Angel asked as she eyed the girl a little, wondering just how the hell the girl managed to get in, thinking maybe her mother saw her or something, or she'd walked over and her mother sent the girl inside to her, so they could meet.

"No.. Your hair is pretty." Addie said, reaching out for a strand of the girls long dark hair, Angel flinching a moment. She still had trouble with sudden movements, living with her father all this time, the way he was, Dr. Jekyll one second, Mr. Hyde the next, she was never sure if someone intended to hit her or not when they suddenly tried to touch her out of nowhere without a good reason. "I, ermm, thanks? I like yours too, Addie." Angel said, attempting polite conversation. She wasn't good at conversations with people she didn't know well, she tended to come off one of two ways.. Too hyper or too bitchy.

She wanted to be nice to this girl, but the way the girl crept in like she had, well.. It'd spooked her. A woman calling the girls name caught her attention, the fear in the girls eyes kept her attention. "My mama's coming."

Constance looked around the boxes in the kitchen with a wrinkled nose.. Until the teenage girl spoke, the slow drawl of her voice making Constance smile. "Addie, there you are. Why the hell are you over here botherin these people?"

"I wanted to play." Addie said as Angel looked from mother to daughter, brow raised, hand in her hair, butting in to say, "It's cool.. I was getting an apple.. I'm Angel.."

"Constance Langdon."

Constance watched the girl as the girl watched her, a wary look in wide and solemn brown eyes. "Are you here for my mother or?" Angel asked finally as Constance shook her head, said simply, "Just came to get Addie.. I've told her a million times to stay away, but she just keeps right on comin back over here. The last tenants hated it."

"Not a big deal. So.. I babysit.. I mean it's not much different looking after a girl like her, than it is looking after a small kid.. If you need a sitter." Angel offered, studying the woman. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't really like the woman.. She didn't entirely hate her, but she just wasn't fond of her, either.

Constance mulled it over and then said simply, "We'll see, darlin."

She waited until the girl turned her back and after shoving a few fancy napkins from the house into her purse, she walked out.

"Wow.. Holy hell that was weird." Angel mumbled as she dug around in the fridge, finding a soda. She pouted when she remembered the TV wasn't there yet, so no tv for the night. Shrugging she walked back out to the front of the house, sat on the steps and chugged the soda, watching her mother and the man talk as she muttered to herself, "Maybe now you'll finally be happy, mom." while biting her lip, twisting a strand of hair around her fingertip.

All in all, the situation wasn't a bad one.. The house was given to them after all.. They were getting a second chance to have a normal happy life.

What's the worst that could possibly happen?

* * *

**Notes: This is set post Murder House. In my story, both Violet and Vivien died off the property thus making them cross over, not being stuck in the house. Addie never died and the twins were never born either. Ben is still alive, he lives down the road, he's too broke to move anywhere else so he's sort of stuck there in that neighborhood.**

**It's Tate and original character pairing, Tate and oc centric. I am pairing Angel's mother with Ben Harmon however. I ship Violate, but.. I had a musi and she wanted a story, so this is her story. This is going to be a bit darker than my usual stuff, but hopefully it doesn't put anyone off reading it. Hopefully it's not utter and total shit either. There will be happy stuff, but there will also be heavy stuff too, I warn you now. **

**I was against posting this, there's so many better ones like this one on the archives already, but what the hell. I know it's shit, but I liked the idea and thought I'd share my own take on it. **


	2. Authors Notes Page

_**AUTHORS NOTES**_

Wow, first of all, let me say I love that I've only posted one chapter and already I've gotten two reviews. I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying this story, and in honor of the response, it actually inspired me to get off my ass and write at least 3 more chapters, which I will be posting after this chapter/notes page.

My brain's backwards, so yeah.. I shoulda done this at the foot of one of the chapters, but I knew I needed to explain a few things as far as my plot and this story, to clear things up before anyone reads any farther... So, without farther adieu, here we go ladies and gents..

**TIMELINE: post Murder House (it's sort of a spin off season if you will)**

**SETTING: Murder House, Dr. Harmon's house, Westfield High, a beach, those are just a few places I can think of right off hand.**

**RATING: Teen for now, because I'm hella paranoid. It will reach M by the end, because I love writing sex and gore and other stuff and this story has been a fun one to write thus far, because it's pushing me to write darker and more intense things than I normally would.**

**PAIRINGS:**

**Tate x oc **

**Oc x Ben**

**OOC WARNINGS:**

**Occasional good guy Tate.. Not too terribly often, but enough so that you guys as readers know that he loves this girl as much as he did Violet, hopefully without taking anything away from Violate, because they are an OTP of mine.**

**OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:**

_**Ben Harmon is alive and well**__**.. That's right, readers.. He made it out of Murder House.. In my version of this whole thing, he and Vivien were seperated, Vivien had actually gone through with throwing him out, just letting him use the office for his patients and visit Violet. It was during one of his visits (two, rather) that he found Violet as she'd taken the pills, got her to a hospital and she died there, then Vivien went into labor and he rushed her to the hospital where she died during childbirth. Ben Harmon is **__**NOT**__** a ghost here.. He simply remains in the neighborhood because he's broke, has no money to move anywhere else and is currently struggling with his grief and the downward spiral of his own life due to his losses.**_

_**Vivien and Violet died, -sadface- but they died OFF the property, thus making them cross over to the spirit world or whatever. The twins Vivien was pregnant with also died. I just felt like it'd be easier to write a story for Ben and for Tate if all loose ends were tied up. This thing's gonna be complicated enough, believe me, without any loose ends.**_

_**I loved Addie, so Addie **__**did not die**__** like she did on the actual show. Instead, her mother punished her that night, locked her in the closet of mirrors and kept her there until the next morning. So Addie is still living too.**_

_**I'll be adding a few more 'ghosts' to the history of the house to sort of make an even deeper history to the house. I'll also be elaborating on past events (from Murder House, the actual season this is set after) and on the lives of the two original characters I'm introducing. **_

_**ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.. THE CHANGES ABOVE MAKE THIS ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, DON'T READ ANY FARTHER.**_

**For now, guys, that's all I can think of.. And thanks again to my two reviewers for encouraging me to go on with this. Just hope I don't let you guys down as far as content and writing, making it worth reading. Personally, I think I can't write for shit, but I'm so very honored this seems to be liked/catching on. Like I said in my initial A/N's at the close of chapter 1, this was inspired by some awesome and amazing stuff I've read a while now. There are probably a million other and better written stories like this on the archives for AHS, but hey, I wanted to write this.**

**Hunter, my anon.. I'd love to check out your AHS fic.. If you could come off anon and message me via here? That'd be great. :)**


	3. When I'm Bad I'm Better

**TWO:**

**When I'm Good, I'm Really Good**

_**But When I'm Bad I'm Better**_

She'd been going to Westfield High for almost 2 weeks with no incident when it happened. The story about her house caught on, people started to realize that she was now actually living in Murder House, and it was given to her mother as an inheritance. Typical to teenage form, accusations began to be thrown around, about her, about her mother, about the entire family, all because of one supposed whack job who liked to play Dr. Frankenstein in his spare time. Angel ignored most of the stuff at first, trying not to lose her temper, have an episode like she'd had at her old school, when the word got out about her father, the fact that he was an addict and that he was an alcoholic and a few other things he'd done.

It was Friday, the school was decked out in black and white streamers, Homecoming was close. Or something, Angel didn't really know, didn't honestly care to know, either. The girl walked up to her just as she closed her locker and got ready to walk away, go to another class.

She felt her face being slammed against the cold hard metal of the locker she'd just slammed seconds before and growling, she stomped the girls foot, turned around, lunged and took the girl down to the floor, straddling her once they'd landed, punching her in the face as she said quietly, "You really, really should not have done that."

The girl continued to fight her and said with a smirk, "You.. Need to be gone.. Like yesterday.. If you didn't live in that house, the town would knock it down. It needs to be knocked down, all the people it's killed.. All the people your god damn family's let it kill since he built the thing."

Angel bounced the girls head off the concrete and the girl flipped them, straddling her, her hand over Angel's mouth. Angel bit her hand and then shoved her back, grabbed the back of her head, a handful of hair, kicking open the bathroom door, shoving the girls head into the nearest toilet, holding her foot down on the flusher while she held the girls head down into the water.

"So you really think killin me is gonna do what exactly?" Angel asked as the girl fought up, said breathlessly, "It'll keep everyone in this town safer."

"No, stupid bitch, it won't.. Because it's not the house.. Bad shit happens. If you weren't 3 generations inbred, you'd know that though, wouldn't ya?" Angel mused as the fight spilled back out into the hallway, only to be broken up by a teacher who grabbed both of the bloody angry and wet girls, hauling them down to the office.

And as soon as her mother walked in, she knew she was in serious shit. She groaned, leaned her head back against the back of the office chair, pressed the ice pack to her busted nose as she said quietly, "Look.. I know what you're going to say, Mom.. But this time, I swear to Christ, I did not start it. I damn sure finished it, but I didn't start it."

The teacher, who happened to be friends with the other girl's mother, and on the school board with her said with a smirk, "Actually, 3 girls said that she didn't just finish it. She held Christina's head down in a toilet for no apparent reason."

Her mother looked back and forth between the two girls and then said calmly, "Angel?"

"Mom.. I didn't do it. Not this time."

Her mother nodded then said quietly, " How long is she suspended for?"

"A week and a half. And she'll have detention for 2 weekends. Normally, we expel students for this kind of behavior, but this time.."

"So basically, sir, you're admitting that this other girl started the entire thing." Angel's mother said in a quiet and commanding tone as the principal bit his lip a moment and said quietly, "What we're saying, Ms. Harrison, is that we actually don't know who started it. So both girls are getting the same punishment.. So it's fair." he added quickly as Angel's mother said with a smirk, "If her nose is broken sir, I'm suing."

She turned to Angel and said "Get your jacket."

"Mom.."

"Move." her mother commanded as Angel grumbled, grabbed her jacket and followed her mother out into the hallway.

They sat in the driveway of Dr. Harmon's house and her mother sighed quietly as she said "You leave me no choice, Evangeline.. You and your stunts, I can't.. I want to know what's wrong with you, what happened to my sweet baby girl."

Angel dropped her eyes and looked at her hands, anger surging at the other girl, plotting revenge as she also mentally kicked herself for finally snapping and letting the girl have it. Christine had been one of her biggest tormentors since she started at Westfield High, and she'd really been trying not to do something like this. She'd been trying to be good for once.

But the fight today only proved that she wasn't cut out to really be a good girl. She bit her lower lip and said "Fine, Mom. But I'm telling you.. I didn't start that fight."

"I know you didn't start that one, Angel.. But what about all the other fights? What about all the sneaking out, the doing things behind my back I specifically tell you not to do? I just want to know what is going on with you."

Angel sighed and got out of the car, giving the building a raised brow as she stood on the porch beside her mother. And about 10 minutes later, she found herself sitting on a leather couch in the office space of Dr. Ben Harmon's home, looking at her hands as he talked to her mother quietly.

Once her mother had gone, Ben sat down and picked up his pen and his notepad then asked the girl, "Your mother says this all started before the divorce.. Do you wanna talk about that?" as he fixed his eyes on Angel.

"Shit happens." Angel mumbled as she looked up and said calmly, "Look.. I'm not crazy or anything.. I know what she told you, about those other fights.."

"Nobody said you were.. But we do want to figure out what's causing you to react so violently.. What normally happens right before you get into one of those fights, Angel?" Ben asked as Angel bit her lower lip and then said quietly, "It's just because I let stuff go until I can't anymore, damn it. I let people do and say whatever they want to me until I can't take their shit anymore. It's pathetic. I'm pathetic.. I let myself be bullied until I snap. What scares me, Dr. Harmon.. Is how good snapping feels."

Ben studied her a moment. "So you're passive and then when you can't be anymore, you're aggressive.." he said quietly, jotting it down on his notepad as he said " When you have these rages.. Do you black out?"

Angel shook her head and said quietly, "Nope.. I know what I'm doing.. I know and I'm too damn angry to stop it. Look.. I'm not a nutter, okay?"

Ben nodded and said quietly, "Does this have to do with your father?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother told me what he was doing to you two before she took you and left. She told me that he had an episode shortly before the divorce, you were visiting him.. You had to fight him off?"

Angel nodded and said quietly, " He was strung out.. He has these episodes and it's like he doesn't know who I am or who mom is, or anything.. He just completely loses it. And.."

"And you're afraid that if you just get angry as opposed to letting it build up slowly, you'll be like him too.. Right?"

Angel didn't look up, instead she stood and said "Yeah.. That's enough for today."

Ben nodded and then said quietly, "This is my number.. If you want to talk again, call me.. Your mother is just worried sick about you and I don't blame her. You can't just hold things in, keep things to yourself."

She gave a nod and made her way out the door, just in time to bump into Constance and Addie, who were taking a walk around the neighborhood. She pulled the hood up on her jacket and walked past quickly, but Constance called out just as she got past her... "Friday night.. I have a date and I won't be back until late.. I'll pay you to keep Addie at your house."

Angel turned around and then said with a shrug, "Sounds fine with me." as Addie asked with a bright grin, "What happen to you?"

"Got in a fight."

Constance grimaced and asked "What in the hell for?"

"People are assholes, Ms. Langdon." Angel said dismissively as she jogged down the sidewalk quickly and then back through the gate of her own front yard, into the house. Her mother called out from the kitchen, "How'd it go?"

"It went, Mom. Look.. I'm never gonna be this perfect child you keep trying to turn me into.. But I will try to talk to you about shit.. I'm going up to my room."

"First, Angel, come in.. There's someone I want you to meet." her mother said as Angel walked into the kitchen looking from the two males who stood there, eyeing her with mild amusement, to the older lady who had a bad eye.

"Who the.." Angel started, as the two men spoke up and said "Patrick and Chad.." as Patrick added "I'm the landscaper and gardener." and Chad said with a smile, "And I'm going to be helping your mom do a little remodeling around this old place."

Angel shot her mother a look and then the red haired older woman introduced herself, saying gently, "Let's get some ice on that eye.. This doesn't happen often, does it, dear?"

"Only when people really, really piss me off." Angel tried joking, only to mutter "Shit, sorry, mom. It was a joke." when her mother gave her a commanding glare.

As Moira lead Angel into the pantry and found a rag and ice, she held it to her face and Moira said quietly, " It's hard, parents breaking up."

"Not really.. My dad checked out a long time ago, ma'am." Angel said as she bit her lower lip and caught sight of herself in a toaster that sat on a shelf, gaping a moment as she said a little louder than she meant to, "Shit.. My eye."

Bianca sighed in the kitchen and explained to the two men on her so called 'housekeeping staff', "We're trying to start over.. She's been having a bit of a hard time fitting in.. Seems to draw trouble right to her, like a magnet. I mean I did at that age.. Guess that's why it scares the living hell out of me. I mean I had her when I was barely 19, married her father just out of high school.. We never should've gotten married.. I knew he had problems from the start, but I just held out hope he'd grow and mature.. Then a year or two ago, his boxing career ended due to an injury, things have been going downhill every since and rapidly. I thought the move.."

The two men looked at each other and then Chad said quietly, "She'll be fine." as Patrick nodded and said "And we're here as regularly as Moira, so she'll have people around, even when you're working." to soothe Bianca. Bianca nodded and Angel walked through the kitchen and said casually, "I'd stay and chat guys.. But it's Monday night and I'm gonna go watch the episode of General Hospital I missed."

Chad chuckled a little and then called out, "You watch that?"

"All the time, man. All the time. It's shitty, but I cannot stop watching." Angel said before grabbing a pudding cup, a spoon and disappearing quickly out the door of the kitchen.

Moira set to her cleaning, only to turn a corner in the hallway and run straight into Tate. "Do you have to do that?" she asked as he looked at her and then said quietly, "Do what?"

"Lurk."

"It is my house too, and I am stuck here, damned here for all time, so yeah, Moira.. Aww.. is someone snippy because the new family doesn't have a husband you can fuck?" Tate asked casually as he peeked into the den upon hearing very loud swearing at a television being played almost equally loud.

"Who's she?" Tate asked casually, pretending not to care, pretending he wasn't interested in knowing the new female resident of Murder House as he watched the girl sitting on the edge of her seat, yelling at some soap opera, the crap his mother watched at one point in time when he'd still been alive. He'd seen Angel around the house, of course, but he'd been sort of moping, still pissed about Dr. Harmon getting Violet out of the house before she actually died, having her die in the hospital, seperating them.. He'd been so close, he'd almost had someone to love, he'd almost had a companion... Then Moira and Dr. Harmon had to horn in, take her away that night.

"Angel Harrison.. She and her mother just inherited the house.. Turns out Dr. Montgomery did have remaining descendants." Moira explained as she added as an after thought, "And if I were you, Tate.. I'd leave her be.. Remember what happened when you tried to love Violet? Look how splendidly that worked for you."

Tate glared and then said quietly, with an uncharacteristic softer and very wounded look in his dark brown eyes, "Violet loved me. She just couldn't **accept** what she meant to me. But she'd have come around if Harmon hadn't found her, taken her to the hospital to try and save her when it was already too late."

Moira looked at him a few moments, sighed to herself and then said quietly, "I've got cleaning to do." before leaving him standing there in the hallway. The channel on the television flipped from the soap opera to a recorded professional wrestling show and he stood in the doorway just watching Angel intently, trying to figure the girl out.

Angel rubbed her neck and turned, just in time to catch a glimpse of someone walking out of the doorway and down the hallway quickly. She shrugged it off and went back to yelling at the television, yelling instructions to the fighters in the ring.

If anyone were watching her, it might have been one of the adults in the house currently, probably making sure she wasn't losing her mind or something. She tended to get caught up and carried away in television when she watched.. Especially soap operas or professional sports.

About halfway through the show, she felt the chill in the air in the room and huddled down into a blanket. She shrugged it off, peeking over the back of the couch for a split second. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, shook her head and muttered "It's either the landscape guy or the guy who's working on the interior of this hellhole."

_'Wrong. You saw me. Don't sit there and pretend you didn't.' _she heard quietly, as she stood, grabbed the fire poker from the fireplace's brick hearth, holding it up as she said "This is not fuckin funny. I'll shove this right up your ass."

_'Right.. Sure you will. That's why you look so afraid right now. I can almost smell your fear, Angel.. Cute name.. What's it stand for?' _Tate said as he stepped into the room, just out of her line of sight, just to fuck with her head a little longer, enjoying it, the feeling of being in control again. Seeing her, like the day he'd seen Violet, it'd awakened something in him.

"Nothin fuckin scares me, man. Get it right." Angel said as she turned in all directions, the poker from the fireplace's brick hearth in her hands, raised in a defensive gesture. "And you sir.. I can smell the smelly smell of bullshit. Because if I were afraid of you? I'd be running, crying like a little bitch.. Do you see me running, voice? Answer me, god damn it. Show yourself."

A laugh echoed throughout the room as the lights did their flickering thing for a few moments and she kept feeling icy cold sensations all over her arms, on her bare legs, on her cheek even as the voice said simply, _'So.. looks like we've got ourselves a badass.. Hmm.. This could get interesting. Now, Angel.. Answer my question or you're gonna piss me off.. And believe me, Angel.. Pissing me off? It's the last fucking thing you wanna do." _

Angel stiffened her shoulders and kept an iron clad grip on the poker in her hands as she laughed and then said casually, "Look dude.. If you think this little trick show you're putting on is going to make me run screaming out of here.. You've got the wrong fuckin girl. Either show yourself, dude.. Or I'll find you.. And when I find you, whoever you are.. You're gonna really, really wish you'd fucked with another house and not this one." while her fear widened brown eyes darted around the room and her legs trembled a little.

From behind her, Tate trailed his tongue slowly down the side of her neck and nipping her earlobe, with a casual laugh he said _"Boo." _before letting the lights stop flickering, the room to return to a relatively normal state, and leaving for the basement he called a sanctuary since he'd lost the one reason he had for doing anything..

Violet.

Angel growled and the second the lights were normal again, she found herself surrounded by her mother, the 'couple' who were also on the house staff, and Moira, the housekeeper, who eyed her in concern.

"Are you okay, Angel?" her mother asked her in concern as Angel answered through gritted teeth, "I'm fine, Mom.. Can we maybe at least try and find an exorcist for this shithole? Because just now, I swear to God something was in here screwing around with me." as the two males exchanged a look and then said quickly, "It might have been some of the kids down the road.. They like to play pranks."

"Yeah? Well next time they show up here like this and freak me out, mister.. I'm gonna fill their asses full of lead. It's just me and my mother here, I have to protect her." Angel stated simply as Bianca spoke up and said "Nobody is filling anyone's ass full of lead. Put down the fire poker and come eat your supper.. You can tell me what Dr. Harmon said when you had your little talk with him earlier."

"I'd rather not, Mom."

"Oh, but you owe me some sort of explanation, Angel.. Your behavior lately is all over the place and I for one am not going to become one of those mothers who just ignores her kid's problems instead of dealing with them." Bianca insisted as Angel gave her a dirty look and walked out of the room stiffly.

Patrick spoke up and said quietly, "Maybe she's just having a hard time adjusting to the move, fitting in here.." with Chad adding, "You two did move all the way across the United States.. It's a lot different here than Georgia, I'd imagine." as Bianca studied the two males and nodding said "She's always been a little strong willed.. It scares the living shit out of me at times."

"She seems like a good kid.. Just a little outspoken and blunt.. Maybe a little tempermental.. But maybe that'll keep some of these creepier boys from taking a shine to her?" Chad suggested as Patrick nodded, knowing exactly what creepier boy Chad was referring to.

Moira said quietly, "If I notice anything at all, ma'am.. I'll tell you straight away."

Bianca gave them thankful smiles and then said quietly, "You've all been super helpful.. I wish there were some way I could repay your kindness.. Are you sure you won't take some kind of money?"

The three other adults shook their heads firmly.

Upstairs, in her room, Angel shut the door lightly, turned up Avenged Sevenfold and slid the stand up punching bag in the corner of her room out, intent on working out a little of her anger left over from the earlier fight.

She never seemed to calm down easily, it always scared the living shit out of her if she had to be totally honest about it.

Tate stood in the doorway of his old bedroom, looking around at just how much she'd left the same.. He'd figured that a girl inhabiting what was once his would've been the end of his former sanctuary, but so far, she'd pretty much surprised him in her decoration choices.. The pink in the room was kept to a minimum.

The only thing that killed him, really, was the fucking overkill of stuffed animals and zebra print.. And her clothes, shoes, makeup and other shit taking up what used to be his closet and bathroom. He watched her doing what appeared to be kickboxing in quiet fascination and amusement.

So she had been a little afraid earlier.. Good.. he liked that.. Made things so much more fun for him.


	4. I've Been Watching You

**THREE:**

**I've Been Watching You**

_**And I Like What I See.. Maybe**_

Addie looked from her mother to the house she spent 90 percent of her time sneaking into to play with kids nobody else could see but her and then back again. Constance gave her daughter a firm shove and a nod as she said quietly, "Go ahead, Adeline. The girl said it's alright if you come over. She's going to spend some time with you tonight. Don't make her angry, or irritate Ms. Harrison. Understood?"

Addie nodded quietly, wondering why Angel was nice to her when so many others, her own mother occasionally, weren't.

Constance gave a curt nod as Ms. Harrison, Angel's mother, opened the door and smiled warily at her, asked "Addie must be here to see Angel.. Angel is in the garage.. If you can hear her over that damn music and those damn tools, it'll be a miracle, hon." as Constance gave a raised brow look and Bianca explained, "My little girl.. She's not really into girlier things.. Fancies herself a mechanic.. Can't say that with money being as tight as it is right now, it's not a good thing, really." as Constance stepped inside, looking around the house that once belonged to her.

She'd lost almost everyone she at least partially cared for in this damn house. Sometimes, she didn't know whether she wanted to burn the fucking place to the ground, or buy it back just to get a second chance to be a good mother again.. To be closer to the 2 children she'd lost here in this house, them being stuck and doomed to remain here for all eternity.

Addie stepped into the garage on the side of the house quietly, watched the teenage girl moving around the hood of a Mustang, oily and greasy, sweaty as a radio blasted loud and aggressive angry music..

She tapped Angel's shoulders and Angel's head shot up, the 'stolen' beer she'd taken from the fridge before her mother noticed it earlier spilled all over her black tanktop that said in bold white letters "Mama Tried"..

"Shit, Addie, why the hell.." Angel asked as Addie looked at her a moment then asked "Why are you doing that? Boys are supposed to do that. My mommy says that."

"Yeah, well your mommy will wind up broke down on the side of the interstate one day, Addie, and she'll wish she hadn't said it." Angel stated as she rubbed her forehead, took a long pull from the remainder of the Bud Light in her hands. "You scared the livin hell outta me, girl.."

"I'm sorry." Addie said as she pouted a moment, wondering if she'd made Angel angry like she had Mrs. Harmon quite a few times. Angel quickly laughed, shook her head and said "If you're gonna be out here Addie.. Hand me those wrenches on that worktable?"

Addie looked at her a moment but grabbed the tool s and then asked quietly, "That shirt.. Where'd you get it?"

"Found it in a box of shit my mom was going to throw out. Looked like a comfy work shirt so I said what the hell and grabbed it, washed it.. Why?" Angel asked as she turned around halfway, pretending to model the oversized black plaid shirt that almost covered a pair of cut off denim shorts.

"My brother had one." Addie said sadly, then added, "You're gonna die here."

"Not unless you keep poppin in like you do, hon, and scaring the hell out of me." Angel said playfully as she asked, "Your mom still here?"

"Talking to your mommy in the kitchen." Addie answered, eyeing the bottle in Angel's hands warily. "My mommy's boyfriends drink that sometimes.."

"Really?" Angel asked with an amused smirk for a few moments as Addie nodded.

"Mhmm.." Addie said quietly, voice falling away as she spotted Tate lingering in the shadows, watching Angel as she worked on the car that sat in the garage, hood raised. "Hey Addie? Change that boombox.. I wanna hear Disturbed." Angel called out as the boom box sitting on the work bench went from Luke Bryan to Disturbed.

Tate raised a brow but watched the petite and very curvy brunette with a mixture of fascination and amusement. Girls weren't really like her.. He'd been sort of watching her the past few days, and he'd realized that she just wasn't a girl he could explain away, write off easily.

And he was smug because he knew that he could get to her. That she somehow sensed him, even if for whatever reason, she couldn't actually see him yet.

He'd have to find a way around that soon, he wanted to know more about her, it was driving him insane.

Constance sat down at the table in the Harrison's old kitchen, lit a cigarette as Ms. Harrison studied her and said casually, "My daughter seems to like Addie."

"And Adeline is fond of her also." Constance said quietly as she lit a cigarette, shocked when Ms. Harrison took one from the pack and said quietly, "Stress.. It's driven me right back to smoking, a glass or three of red wine before bed. If I didn't have Angel around.." before drumming her fingers on the wooden tabletop.

"Where's her father?" Constance asked casually as Ms. Harrison answered "I left the bastard. It was either leave him or murder him, really. I put up with as much as I could, I convinced myself that no matter what, Angel was gonna have two parents in the same house.. I didn't, by the time I was 18 I was knocked up and expecting her, about to marry a man who was 23."

Constance eyed the woman and then nodded, knowing what she meant, feeling bad for the other woman for a moment. She hardly got neighbors in the house they sat in that she actually liked. She pretended for Tate's sake where the Harmons were concerned.

"And you're afraid that she's gonna wind up repeating your mistakes." Constance mused as she added, "She doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would.. I mean she's a little rebellious.. They all are at that age.. My son.. He.." her voice falling away as Moira walked in, and Constance thought about what Billie Dean promised her about this new girl living in Murder House, about her son Tate.

All she wanted was him to finally find the happiness she'd failed to give him in life.. To finally understand what'd happened, get some kind of closure. According to the friend of hers, Billie Dean, the psychic, Angel would do those things for her son..

That there was some bond between the two teenagers.

That somehow, it surpassed time and universes.

Not that Constance really believed in the concept of love or even of love being that strong.. But she knew that until Tate had a way in, she'd never know..

Bianca grumbled as she scanned a notice from the school and said quietly, "Damn it.. And she's doing badly in it here too I see."

"What?" Constance asked as Bianca said quietly, "My Angel.. She's got a bit of a.. Okay, she's fucking horrible in English and Math.. Two classes that she apparently needs more than anything to pass here. She's already a grade behind as is." while drumming her fingers, calming down, reminding herself that Angel was just going through a really, really hard time right now, that soon enough she'd settle down, buckle down in her studies, start maturing attitude wise.

Constance cheered mentally as she spoke up and glared at Moira, warning her NOT to butt in and mess this up for Tate, " My son is actually exceptional in those two subjects, Ms. Harrison.. Maybe when he's home later, I can send him over?"

"What the hell.. It can't hurt. I swear to God though, my daughter is going to drive me right to a nuthouse as of late. You heard about that fight a few days ago at her school.. She's only been there two weeks, already she's gotten herself onto the principal's shit list. I can pay him.. It won't be much but.." Bianca offered as Constance nodded and said "You can discuss that with him when he comes by this afternoon. As far as I go, consider this help from one single mother to another. I wish someone had been this kind to me when Tate's father left."

Bianca nodded.. The name Tate sounded vaguely familiar, but she said nothing for now.. It was probably just a name she'd heard on a television show or something, maybe Angel had even mentioned the guy in their talks about school and how it was going, as scant as those were..

Constance left and as she walked out, she found her son lingering near the garage. She walked over and leaning in said quietly, "This afternoon, around 4.. Knock on their front door.. The mother knows you're coming, she's agreed to allow you to tutor this girl.. Do not make me regret this."

Tate glared for a moment and then said quietly, "What's in it for you?"

She shrugged and walked out of the room after peeking into the garage, calling out over the noise, "Home by 4 Adeline."

Angel shot Constance a thumbs up and the door closed, Addie stared at the corner nearest it, watching her brother. She knew Angel couldn't see him, or probably couldn't see him, he hadn't shown himself to her yet.

"Are you okay, Ad?" Angel asked as Addie nodded said quietly, "Your knuckles are bloody."

Angel looked down at her knuckles, swore loudly and found a few shop towels, w rapping them around her fist, taping the temporary bandage into place as Addie watched her intently.

"Wrench slipped or something I guess." Angel said as she asked "What were you staring at just now though?" wondering if Addie too felt like she were being watched..

"Somebody was watching us." Addie said as Angel gave her a look and then asked "Did you see 'em? Tell me Addie, I'll go upstairs and get my rifle."

The security company wasn't coming until Monday to reinstall the home security system that the previous owners had had installed that'd broken down, been taken offline. Until then, Angel pretty much appointed herself guardian and security for the place.

"They're gone now." Addie said as Angel shivered a little. Sometimes, when Addie spoke cryptically like she tended to a lot of the time, it really freaked her out. Especially now, given what'd happened about 3 nights before, in the den/parlor of the house with the lights and the voice..

The boombox changed to Nirvana and Angel glared at it a moment, then changed it back to the country song she'd been listening to, shaking her head as Addie said casually, "He doesn't like it. He likes that other song."

"Who?" Angel stopped in mid turn of a wrench as she looked up at Addie who sat nearby in a discarded patio chair from god only knows how long ago.

"The person who was watching us." Addie answered, not wanting to tell Angel about her brother just yet, not sure if she'd believe her and not wanting Angel to start acting funny towards her like the Harmons had in the end.

"I don't give a fuck what he likes. I wanna hear Hank Jr, if he doesn't like that, he can kindly get the hell out of my garage." Angel said calmly as she smirked, reached out and turned up the volume knob on the radio.

Tate smirked to himself, yanked the cord out of the wall then moved the radio at least a good foot out of her reach on the bench, almost sending it smashing to the floor of the garage. _'Fuck your Hank Jr. If I wanna listen to Nirvana, Angel.. I'm gonna play Nirvana. You can just deal with it.' _the whisper said in her ear. She felt a shiver run down the side of her neck as if someone trailed their tongue or a cold wet finger down it.

"Thats it, Addie.. Get the keys to my car for me, please?.. We're gonna go inside." Angel said quietly as she shivered, tried to get control of her nerves so she didn't scare Addie. Addie placed the keys in her hand and then said quietly, "Did he scare you?"

"Nope.. Not at all." Angel muttered, not realizing that somehow, Addie had known someone was messing with her, creeping around in the shadows of this shitty ass house, whispering in her ears, moving her things around, leaving her black roses or other dead flowers.

Addie gave her brother a fleeting glance as they walked right past him and into the house, Angel calling out, "Mom! The 360 is still hooked up in the parlor, isn't it?"

Bianca answered "Yes.. Don't play that violent game while Addie's here. Her mother might not like that."

"Wasn't going to, Mom. I was going to watch Beauty And the Beast or one of the other Disney movies.." Angel said as she turned to Addie and asked "You like Disney stuff, right?"

Addie nodded and smiled as Angel put in the movie, they wound up watching Brave, actually, sitting in the semi darkened room.

Around 4, the doorbell rang and seconds later, Angel heard her mother calling out, "Angel? Constance wants Addie home now.. And you have a guest."

Angel raised a brow and muttered "Who the fuck?" to herself as she pulled herself up off the couch, walked into the entry hall of the house, raking her hand through her hair.

"Your mother and I were discussing this earlier.." Constance said as she looked at Angel intently, warily almost, as if she were concerned about something, and a guy with shaggy blondish brown hair stepped in, smirking, arms full of books..

"What the hell, Mom?" she asked, brow raised as she checked him out, pretending dismissive disinterest, noting how hot he looked, wondering why he'd stop by to see her until her mother's next statement explained it all as Bianca said simply and in a firm tone of voice, "You're behind in English and Math again. You need a tutor, Angel, Ms. Langdon's son said he would help you out. At least attempt to be nice." as she eyed the boy a little warily.. She wasn't sure if she were fond of the way he was looking at Angel right now. She still wasn't overly fond of Ms. Langdon herself, but she knew that Addie didn't have a whole lot of friends, and Angel seemed to tolerate the girl for the most part, so she tried tolerating Ms. Langdon.

Her son, however, she wasn't sure about.

"I'm Tate."

"Angel." Angel said as she licked her lips a little, studied him. She'd seen him somewhere before.. Maybe he went to Westfield and she just hadn't paid him a lot of attention. He looked a little older than she was..

If he were an upperclassman, she wouldn't actually know the guy, that could explain why he looked familiar, his name sounded familiar..

"Do I know you?"

"I go to Westfield." Tate lied carefully as he shrugged and then added, "I've seen you around. Heard you like to fight a lot."

"Don't like to, Tate, but people out here seem to like pissin me off." Angel said as her mother and Ms. Langdon watched them intently, each woman with entirely different intentions in their mind.

Constance watched the brunette go toe to toe with her son, brow raised, slightly amused by it. If things happened the way her psychic friend predicted this time, she could very well be looking at the girl who helped her son in the way she couldn't.

Or Tate would destroy her somehow. Either way, it could be interesting.

"Ahh. So you have a temper."

Angel shrugged and then said quietly, "Are we gonna get this over with or not, Tate?"

"Fine with me." Tate said back equally as quiet. Angel lingered on the stairway up to her room, waiting on him, he walked up behind her, caught up to her quickly.

The door to his old bedroom opened and he looked around, pretending to be a first time observer of the chaos the room held within. He shut the door behind him and she looked up at him and said "Ignore the shit.. I'm not much of a cleaner. Doesn't help when the housekeeper keeps cleaning up in here, moving my shit around." nodding towards the bed, indicating he could sit down.

"What are you doing?" he called out as she stepped into the bathroom. She peeked out of the door and then said with a smirk, "Changin.. Not gonna sit on my bed covered in oil and grime and stuff."

"Yet you sat on the couch downstairs." Tate pointed out as she called out, "And also, don't know you from a hole in the ground, so sue me if I don't feel entirely comfortable walking around dressed like this in front of you."

Tate smirked a little and muttered quietly, "Feisty."

She emerged a few minutes later wearing an AC DC t shirt and a pair of black silk pajama bottoms, her hair up in a messy ponytail with glasses on as he looked up from looking at the pictures on her desk. "Who's blood?" he asked, holding up one of her pictures from a hunting trip with her father when she'd been about 12. In the picture, she had blood stains on her clothes, a little on her cheeks and nose, she was smirking at the camera, holding a shotgun, wearing what looked like hunting clothes.

"A deer. My dad took me hunting, it was my first kill.. The tradition is that you get soaked in the blood or something.. Personally, it was sick shit, but my dad was in a mood so I played along with him. Didn't wanna push his buttons and piss him off." Angel explained, flopping down onto the bed beside him, rolling onto her back and looking up as she asked "Why? Creep you out?"

"It's sort of cool actually." Tate smirked as he looked at her, bit his lower lip. Okay, so this girl was almost like Violet, then again she wasn't.. Then again, she really wasn't like any other girl he'd met in life, or since then, in death.

"That's weird." Angel said as she gave him a look for a second then shrugging said "So.. Let's get on with this.. Sure you've got better things to do than spend an entire Saturday night trapped here with me, tutoring me."

He shrugged and said casually, "I do, but I get the feeling this might be worth my while." as he held her gaze a moment before opening the books his mother had given him, his own old text books from the attic, thankfully, it looked like Westfield was still using the same books now as they had been in 94..

Truth be told? He didn't know any of this shit any better than she did.. But his mother had some reason for doing this, and he **did** want to get to know her better..

For curiousity's sake, of course.

"Right." Angel muttered as she asked "Have I seen you at school or something?"

"Probably.. I see you around.. I mean I noticed you.. Just never bothered talking to you." Tate said, lying quickly and easily.

"My mom.. She means well, but lately, since she and my dad split, she's got this bug up her ass about me and the way I supposedly behave. Even made me go to a session with Dr. Harmon down the road after that last fight at school." Angel said as Tate shrugged and then said with a smirk, "He was my shrink for a while."

Angel shrugged and then said dryly, "Small world I suppose." as she snuck a look at him, moved a little closer and said calmly, "If you're trying to make me nervous, Langdon.. Not gonna happen.. This house will scare me, Langdon, before you ever will." smirking up at him.

He studied her a moment and then said quietly, "If I were trying to make you nervous, Evangeline.. I'd just do it. And you'd know it, because trust me.. You'd be nervous."

Angel gaped at him a moment.. Only her mother and the teachers at Westfield called her by her full first name.. So how in the hell did he know it?

"I hate that name."

"I like it. If I want to call you Evangeline, Angel, I will." Tate said calmly as he leaned down, his face only a few inches from her face, a menacing smirk on his lips.

The door opened and Moira came in, coughed a little, the two teens springing apart, Angel scowling at Tate as his back was turned then turning to Moira and mouthing "This one.. He's a little loopy, no?" making her almost laugh, making a small hint of a smile come to the woman's face.

It was nice having a teenager in the house again. Made her feel young again. She liked that feeling. But she worried about the young girl.

Tate glared at Moira and mouthed angrily, "Out. Now. Or you won't like what I do to you later." before turning his attention back to Angel and saying quietly, "Open the book. Whatever you guys were doing in class Friday. We'll start there." giving her a demanding gaze.

For some reason, even as she fought it, the look he gave her had her sort of hypnotized and mesmerized, and before she realized what she was doing, she'd opened the book, almost obediently. He leaned in and said quietly, "See? Wasn't so damn difficult, was it?"

"Jerk."

"You act tough, Evangeline.. But it's just an act." Tate said quietly, looking at her, smirking, holding her eyes in a steady gaze, a smug grin appearing as he added, "All this is just daddy issues.. I've been watching you for a while now.. I know a lot about you."

"Sure you do." Angel retorted, leaning back, putting distance between herself and Tate, still slightly shocked at how she'd just sort of obeyed him just now.. The tension in the air between them was almost thick enough to cut.

" You had a detention last Thursday. You wear mismatched socks and you play soccer for JV. You never go straight into school, you usually sit in the parking lot with Leah and April and listen to Motley Crue or something. You're the only girl in the 11th grade taking auto shop right now." Tate rattled off, noting the amused and curious look on her face and smirking asked "Should I continue?"

"Now I'm interested, because, see.. I don't know anything about you." Angel admitted, leaning in a little. Was this guy flirting? With her? Seriously?

She'd laugh, but then again, she was sort of attracted to him too.. Guys didn't normally flirt with her, so it was a little weird to have happening.

"What do you wanna know?" he asked, holding her gaze as he leaned in closer, smirking. She backed away and he frowned a moment, a flash of anger pooling in his eyes for a moment. Angel shrugged and said "Let's just get through this first, okay?" before turning her attention back to the English book that sat open between them.

"Not exactly a people person are you?" Tate mused, an amused gleam in his eyes as he looked at her. Angel looked up from her book and then shrugging said in a quiet voice, "Depends on who the people are. Seeing as how I don't know you and you know all that about me, let's just say I'm operating on the side of caution here and leave it at that."

He smirked a little and then looked over her shoulder at what she was writing, said quietly and in a smug tone, "That entire sentence is wrong."

"Sounds right to me." Angel said as she looked up, found her face only a few inches away from his again. She backed away and said quietly, " Look.. I'm not smart, okay?"

"Maybe you are."

"Ughh, can you just not argue with me? Seriously? You don't know me, Tate. Just like I don't know you."

"But Addie knows you.. My mother knows you.. What's different about me?" Tate asked as Angel looked up, shrugged and said calmly, "You're flirting with me for one. Not something I'm used to. Not sure if I like it."

He slipped his hand out, switched the song on her Ipod to a Nirvana song and she scowled a little, flipping it back to an older rock song called The Weight. "What's your issue with Nirvana?" Tate asked as he smirked to himself, knowing fully well why she was a little alarmed when he'd done that just now.

Angel eyed him a moment, shrugged and said with a smirk, "What's your issue with good music?" as she chewed the tip of her pen. She got the feeling this guy was attempting to unnerve her, she wasn't about to let it happen either.

Bianca poked her head into the door of her daughter's room, found Tate and Angel studying peacefully, each eyeing the other in different ways. Her little girl hadn't ever really been a people person for the most part, she never really had that many friends.

She could sort of sense, as a mother, that Tate may not either. And she wasn't sure if she should feel bad about this, or wonder if she made a good decision, letting his mother talk her into letting him tutor Angel.

Angel was good enough, after all, at finding enough trouble on her own. If the two of them got close, for some reason, Bianca was concerned that her daughter's troubles might just be small potatoes compared to what this boy she barely knew and hardly trusted could get Angel into.

At 6 pm, Tate stood and stretching said with a smirk, "So.. Seen any ghosts here?" enjoying the fact that he was keeping a secret from her, that she had no idea she was at this very moment looking at a ghost.

"Nope. Had some really, really weird shit happen to me though." Angel admitted thoughtfully as they closed their books and she turned on the small 20 inch television set on her dresser, turned on the satellite box in her room, finding a professional wrestling show she'd taped from the night before, hadn't gotten to watch completely since she'd fallen asleep about halfway through.

Tate snickered to himself and she turned on her heel and asked with a glare, "What?"

"That shit's stupid."

"And? Maybe I like watching pointless violence, Tate." Angel said as he eyed her a few moments, muttered to himself "Interesting." while pacing a little in front of the television.. Being a ghost who inhabited her house did have it's perks.. He didn't have the typical curfew bullshit to deal with.. But if he got her to fall for him, if he got to know her.. Sooner or later, he knew she'd start asking a ton of questions.. And he'd wind up alone somehow, like he had with Violet.

"And now you sound like Dr. Harmon." Angel said as she gave him a disgusted glare and asked in amusement, "Gonna try and analyze me, doctor? Cause kicking around in my mind? It's not advised." before falling back on her bed, asking aloud, "So.. If you wanna stick around, cool.. If you don't, fine, either way, can you move your ass from in front of the set?"

Tate studied her a moment. She looked at him, brow raised as she said "Your mama wasn't a glass maker, Langdon." as she yelped and jumped up, shouting at the tv set.

He sank back onto the bed, his old bed, much to his delight, and she asked casually, "Want something from the kitchen? I think Moira made this awesome cheesecake earlier..." licking her lips as she added "It had strawberry glaze.. Or cherry." shooting him a cheeky wink as she stood, skipped out of the room.

He leaned his head back, his arms crossed behind it as he mused aloud, "This could be interesting." as he pretended interest in the show she'd stopped the tv on. A few minutes later, she emerged into the room again, this time wearing a black t shirt that said Explicit Ambrose Violence, holding a pie tin and two forks, with two sodas. She closed the door with her foot and flopped down on the bed, held out a fork, then a soda as she took the pie tin, digging in greedily as she said through a mouth full, "What?"

"You have glaze on your face."

"And?"

He rolled his eyes as he shoveled in the cheesecake, pretending to chew and digest it. Truthfully, it was just sort of going nowhere.. Thankfully, he'd gotten good at passing himself off as living during the time Violet's family lived in Murder House.

Angel looked over at him during the show and then said casually, "You didn't have to stay."

"Didn't really have anything else to do." Tate said as he looked at her and then said "You didn't have to ask me to stay."

"I didn't." Angel said as she popped the top on her soda, looked at him a few moments and said with a shrug, "Okay, fine.. Maybe I did."

"What's the point of this shit?" Tate asked as he gestured to the television set, the wrestling match going on on the screen. Angel shrugged and said finally, "Entertainment. I mean it's violence and drama.. Isn't that what everybody thrives off of?"

"Yeah, but.." Tate said as he watched a guy take off a title belt, nailing another man in the face with it. "What I meant, Evangeline.. is why do you watch it?" looking away from the tv set to hold her gaze a few moments.

She smirked as she said casually, "Because it's something my dad and me used to do.. Before he became a huge asshole. And then there's the men grabbing each other." in a joking tone as she added seriously, " I just like it, okay?"

He watched her a few minutes when she'd turned her attention back to the screen and then asked casually, "Ever had a boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Why do you ask me all this shit?" Angel asked as she took a bigger bite than normal of her cheesecake, choked and Tate promptly hit her on the back a few times, joking "Easy."

"Fuck you." Angel said with a playful smirk as she flipped him off and then asked, "Ever had a girlfriend?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"I ask the questions, Evangeline, not you." Tate said in a firm tone of voice as he turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes and then said calmly, "Seeing as this is my room, Langdon, not seeing how that makes any sort of actual sense."

He almost said something but he stopped himself and shrugged, added "Girls.. I mean there was one girl.. But she got to know me and she walked away too.. And then all the other girls at Westfield are shallow and stupid."

"Not all of them." Angel answered and then said with an amused smirk, "You're a chickenshit. That's why."

"Am not. I could make the same argument for you."

"I'm not a chickenshit, actually, I just don't wanna fall in love. I've seen what happens when you do. It's not pretty. And most guys at Westfield are pretty lame."

"Not all of them." Tate said as he looked at her, leaned in really close. Angel leaned in a little and he trailed his thumb along her cheek, licked it. "You had glaze on your face."

"Asshole." Angel grumbled as she moved away, went back to watching tv.

During a commercial, she flipped through the channel, lingering on a made for tv miniseries about Bonnie and Clyde, and then she made a casual remark that made him choke on his cheesecake and look at her when she said "Bet they had some awesome times."

He pretended horror and then asked "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, okay?" Angel said quietly as she clammed up, studied the tv intently, choosing not to answer his question. She knew what she meant, but she just wasn't sure that her occasional dark thoughts were normal.

After all, she was having uncontrolled rage blackouts and she was constantly in trouble at school, and she never actually felt like she fit in anywhere in the grand scheme of things.

As she watched tv, Tate studied her, curiousity brimming in his golden brown eyes.. What if he grabbed her and kissed her right now? He found himself wondering if she'd like it.. He'd enjoy it, that wasn't the question.

_'She's living, Tate. Let her have a proper life.' _a small voice echoed in his mind. He grumbled a little, she looked over at him with a raised brow then yawned, stretching as she said "So.. This tutoring thing.. I guess it won't be so bad."

"Maybe not." Tate said as he stood and then said "But I probably better go home. I'm kind of grounded." keeping a poker straight face as he maintained the lie that'd gotten him a chance to get close to her, satisfy his curiousity where she was concerned. He shot her a look before standing and grabbing the books from the nightstand, he could tell that she was still wary, but she was believing him a little easier now as opposed to earlier, when he'd 'come over'.

He walked out of her room and down to the basement, grumbling, irritated with himself. He didn't want to like the girl, really.. Violet had been it for him. When she'd rejected him and then died and crossed over, he'd been prepared to give up. But then he'd watched her and he'd gotten curious and amused by her.. Those things lead to a slight obsession to get to know her and now?

He didn't know what would happen next, really. He was going to do his best to scare her away before he got too attached this time, but as strongwilled as Angel seemed, he wasn't sure how that would work out, really.

Angel sank back in her bed, let out a long sigh as she muttered aloud, "That wasn't weird, not at all." before shutting off her tv and getting underneath her covers, shoving a pillow over her head to block out the light coming in from the hallway, too lazy and tired to get up and go turn off the light or shut her door.

Also, if she had to admit it, deep down, though she most likely never would, she was kind of afraid to get out of the bed. Something about this house lately had started to become downright sinister, almost evil.


	5. Unwelcome Visitors I

**FOUR**

**Unwanted Visitors**

_**Daddy's Home**_

She'd just started Fast & The Furious when the doorbell rang. She looked around the house, realized that she was completely and totally alone, thus it fell to her to open the door. The banging persisted and she rolled her eyes, sprang from the couch and peered through the curtains on the bay window, promptly feeling her throat close up when she saw him standing there.

From the way he was swaying side to side, she could guess that this visit was anything but a pleasant one, and she grumbled as she heard his drunken drawl as he said loud enough for everyone in the neighborhood to hear him, "Angel? You in there, baby girl? C'mon. Let.. Let daddy in, girl."

"Go away. You're fuckin drunk." Angel said calmly through the door. She heard the growl, winced as his large fist struck wood and the sound echoed throughout the empty corridor. "God damn it, Angel, lemme inside. I.. I wanna talk to your mama."

"She ain't home and I ain't interested. Get lost." Angel said as she bit her lower lip, tears springing to her eyes as her heart pounded her chest. The phone sat on a hallway table next to the door and the knife stand in the kitchen was in sight. Normally, she wouldn't even consider using a knife on someone she loved, her father, her own flesh and blood, but one look into his murky brown and very bloodshot eyes proved that this was not a normal occasion.

He wasn't just drinking. He was back on the steroids, probably doing cocaine again.

He'd fought addiction almost her entire life, but until he lost his career as a semi professional boxer about the middle of last year, he'd never taken it out on her. He'd never scared her like he had the night she'd come home from a Georgia Bulldogs football game with some friends of hers and found him holding her mother down, trying to strangle her, shouting things at her that Angel would've never associated with her father at one point in time.

"Don't you talk to me that way you miserable little shit. I raised you. Didn't have to, but I did.. Your mama's a tramp, you know that? Or she was until she got that higher education.. Now she think she's better than me. You might not even be my kid.. And I took your worthless little ass in."

Angel bit her lower lip. She'd heard this speculation during the divorce case, it wasn't a shock.. Wasn't the truth, unfortunately the bastard was her father, but it still hurt all in the same. She took a deep breath and said calmly, "If you wanna talk, Dad.. Talk to the cops. They're on their way now. I called." before stepping back away from the door.

Which was a huge mistake because with his being so much bigger than her, hyped up on god only knew what, he managed to ram the door and then he stood in the foyer.

"You're fuckin insane."

"That's no way to talk to daddy now is it?" her father asked.

From the doorway, Addie held her breath and watched with wide and frightened eyes. She couldn't go back to her mom's and tell her mother, her mother wouldn't listen, all she'd do was lock her in that room with the mirrors for even being at the Harrison's house.

She bit her lower lip and tried to keep quiet, edging out the door just off the kitchen, back across the road, afraid for her somewhat friend.

Luckily, Dr. Harmon was in his yard, watering his hibiscus plant by the door. So Addie ran over and tried telling him what was going on in Angel's house, how her mother was gone and some man was inside the house.

Inside the house, father chased daughter down the hall, with all the grace of a bull in a china shop, knocking pictures off tables, knocking over furniture, kicking in doors. Angel ran into the spare room at the end of her hallway, the one that'd belonged to Violet, the girl who committed suicide in the house and crouching by the bed left in the room, she felt around beneath it.

She kept her hunting rifle there, so her mom wouldn't nag at her about it being in the way or out where it could scare people or give them the wrong ideas about the two of them.. With shaking hands, she grabbed a magazine and after hearing the click that indicated that the gun was loaded now, she stood and flattened herself against a wall next to the doorway. She heard him when he kicked open the door to her actual bedroom, started turning over furniture, swearing, yelling things.

Then she could've sworn she heard someone else.. A low menacing laugh, sounds of a fight, then her father yelling incoherently about something. She didn't dare look out the door. Instead, she quietly edged out of the room she was hidden in and ran down the hallway, down to the front door, pressing the panic button for the security system, right as she heard her name being hissed from the kitchen of the house.

Turning around, she raised a brow as she saw Dr. Harmon standing there. He hissed urgently, "Are you okay?"

"I will be once the security people show and cart his ass off to jail sir." Angel said as she looked at him a moment and then asked "How'd you?"

"I'll tell you once you're out here. Come on, you can wait at my house, let security do their thing. It's safer." Dr. Harmon said as Angel mulled it over a split second. The yelling from upstairs made her mind up for her and she ran out the door with Dr. Harmon, their neighbor down the road.

Once they were safely inside his own smaller house he poured her a glass of tea to calm her down and then asked "Taking it that guy was your father?"

"Mhmm." Angel said quietly, sipping her tea and looking at him. "How'd you know?"

"For one thing, I heard him yelling. At first I thought it was you watching a movie or playing your Xbox.. You usually keep the tv turned up pretty loud when your mom's out.. Then Addie caught me outside. Apparently she walked over to see you, sneak in like she's got the habit of doing, and she saw him instead."

"he didn't.. He didn't see her, right? Because he's not in his right mind right now, sir." Angel said quietly, staring at her tea cup, shaken up and angry with herself for letting him scare her this way like he had before the divorce quite a few times when he'd been at his worst. Dr. Harmon said with a shrug, "I don't think so.. She's pretty damn sneaky, that one.. It used to irritate the hell out of me, but tonight it saved your life."

"Remind me to thank her." Angel said quietly as she bit her lower lip and then said quietly, "Thanks.. For coming over and helping me get outta there. Not many people will butt in when something like that's going on.. at least they didn't back in the town we moved here from.. People sweep things like what is going on with my daddy under the rug usually."

"What do you mean?" Dr. Harmon asked as Angel said quietly, "When my mom tried to do something about him the first few times, the cops sort of laughed her off.. I mean they all knew my dad, my dad was in the same hunting club as they were, they were old high school buddies... Anyway, yeah, it was his word against hers until some stuff went down that none of 'em could deny." before falling silent, getting up to peer out of Dr. Harmon's kitchen window as the security patrol car came flying past on the road, stopped in their driveway.

Inside the house, Trent wandered the hallways angry, swearing. When he got his hands on that damn little brat of his.. He was going to snap her neck for mouthing off. He'd come here to talk to his wife and see his daughter and then Angel had the nerve to do that to him, that'd pissed him off.

He turned a corner and a thing in what appeared to be a leather fetish suit stepped into view. "Who the fuck are you?"

The figure shrugged, said nothing, just walked towards him, menacingly. He glared as he said calmly, "Not a smart idea."

The figure kept walking towards him, stopping by a table to grab a heavy antique candlestick. Trent smirked as he taunted "What the hell are you gonna do with that?"

He got his answer when the candlestick lodged in his skull and he slid to the floor, blood seeping from the wound in his head.

Tate raised his mask and leaning over, he said with a quiet smirk, "Answer your question?" as he glared down at the man in disdain, his arms crossed. "God damn it, Moira won't clean until tomo.." he started, only to hear Moira speak up from behind him, "Working on it now." as she walked in, past him with a cleaning bucket and a white rag. She'd seen Angel press the panic button before Dr. Harmon showed up and got her to leave the house, so she knew they had little time.

The man on the floor groaned and Moira glared at Tate as she said quietly, "Losing your touch?" with a smug smirk.

"Leave him. We can't be seen." Tate said dismissively as he added, "I'd really rather not share eternity with this asshole."

Seconds later, the security officer burst into the house to find Trent Harrison face down in the hallway, barely breathing, bleeding heavily from a wound in the head, but alive. The officer cuffed him and shoved him into the back of an ambulance he'd called for to come and get the guy after discovering the shape the man was in,and Tate made his way back down to the basement.

Across the road, Angel ran out of the house as an ambulance zipped past with the sirens blaring, her mother's convertible hot on it's heels, spinning into the driveway. Bianca felt her stomach sinking as she pulled into the house, saw the security company there, heard them talking about her former husband basically ramming the door, coming in on her daughter, who wasn't in the house.

The first place she went was across the road to the Langdon's house. Addie answered the door and then pointed to the house that Dr. Harmon lived in now, the house at the end of the road and Bianca looked down the road, saw Angel standing on the porch, gaping at the house.

She ran to her daughter, hugged her as she asked "You're okay, right?"

"Mom, I'm fine.. Just a little freaked out right now, but.. Why's there an ambulance there?" Angel asked, brow raised.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing, Angel. The officer said something about a head wound?" Bianca said as Angel looked as if she were going to say something, decided against it then said quietly, "If I hurt him, Mama, you'd know it. He wouldn't be comin out on a gurney, he'd have been comin out in a black bag." as Bianca looked at Dr. Harmon and said "He probably ran into something and split his head open." even though she knew deep down that something had been in that house, had managed to stop her former husband from hurting her teenage daughter.

She felt chillbumps at both how close she'd come to losing Angel and just how freaked out the whole bizarre incident had been.. If Angel was already here at Ben's..

Then who'd done that to her former husband?

"If you wanna thank someone, Mama.. Why don't you make Dr. Harmon dinner?" Angel suggested, a sly grin creeping onto her face as she tried to hide just how freaked out she was right now from her mother.

Bianca looked at Angel a moment and then asked "You're sure you were home alone?"

"Mom, seriously.. I know like what.. Two people here other than Addie? Yes, Mom. I was completely and totally alone." Angel said as she thought about what she'd heard while hiding in that spare bedroom before Dr. Harmon got to the house, helped her get out.

She'd heard someone laughing.. That same voice she heard whenever weird shit happened that got under her skin.

And it sounded eerily familiar in a way..

Bianca asked quietly, "So.. My daughter, while nosy, does have a point. A meal is the least I can do, Dr. Harmon."

"Don't thank me.. Addie's the one who told me.. She thought her mom wouldn't believe her so she came down here and told me what was going on." Ben said quietly as Angel spoke up, "Just humor her, Dr. Harmon.. You gotta get outta this house sometime, right?"

He gave Angel a look, then smiled at her mother and then said "Okay, alright." as Bianca nodded and smiling said quietly, " How about tomorrow night?"

"That works for me." Ben said as Angel grumbled something and slipped out of the house, through the hedges and into the Langdon's yard.

She knocked and Constance answered the door. "What brings you over? What happened over there? You're alright?"

"Fine, ma'am.. Actually, Addie might be the main reason I'm still breathing right now." Angel said as Constance raised a brow then asked "What happened?"

"My damn father broke in on me. Addie saw and got Dr. Harmon to come over, get me out of the house. Somehow or another, my father got hit in the head and his head split open a little. They're takin him to the hospital, then probably to jail. I, uhh.. I wanted to thank Addie.."

Constance called her daughter to the door and Angel said with a slightly smaller, tentative smile, "Thanks, Ad.. If you hadn't come over and tried to sneak in like you always do, I might not have gotten outta there." while looking at the other girl.

"You okay?" Addie asked as Angel said quietly, "Yeah.. It's just been one hell of an afternoon.. Think I'm gonna smoke and then go lie down." before peering into the living room. She **hoped** for a split second she might see Tate, Ms. Langdon's son.

"Tate's out with friends." Constance lied quickly as Angel raised a brow then said quietly, "Oh." before giving them one last wave, walking back across the road to her own house, to give her statement to the officer who'd come. Then she went into her room and flopped back onto the bed, letting out a long exhausted breath as she tried to mentally figure out who might have whacked her father's head like they were intending on hitting a home run.

They hadn't killed the bastard, but clearly, the intent had been there. The blood had been pooled in a large pool in the floor of the hall.

"I wonder who the fuckin hell did that?" she muttered to herself as she fell back onto the bed, exhausted.

Today had been one hell of a weird day and now all she wanted to do was get a little sleep if it were at all possible.


	6. Maybe I Like You

**FIVE**

**Maybe We're Friends**

_**But Maybe I Like You or Something**_

Her mother and Dr. Harmon had just left for their big 'dinner date' and Angel sat in the parlor, zoned out, Xbox controller in her hands, swearing at the television as she tried to play Ghost Recon. Tate was supposed to be coming to tutor her again tonight and she wanted to ask him if maybe he'd done it and just not stuck around or something, not wanted anyone to know he'd bashed her father in the head to try and help her get out of the house.

She bit her lower lip as she took a break from the game to look up at the clock. It was already 5:30.. He should've been here about 10 minutes ago. She stood and peered out the window. Seeing noone, she shut the curtain, scowled a little.

People didn't get to her for the most part. Normally, she just sort of didn't really let anyone get under her skin.. But Tate.. She realized now that since their tutoring sessions started, he was actually doing this very thing and she didn't quite know how she felt about it. She wouldn't call the guy a friend.. But she couldn't say she hated his guts either.

She didn't know how she'd define anything she might or might not feel for him, actually, and this bothered the hell out of her.

The doorbell rang as soon as she sat back down on the couch and turned on the game again, was about to get back into playing it. She stood and stretched, shutting down the Xbox as Tate stepped into the parlor's doorway, said casually, "Didn't you hear me over that shit?"

"Actually, no." Angel said quietly as she studied him a moment and then said stiffly, "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

"Hot date?" Tate asked, smirking as she glared at him and then said "No.. I mean I figured you might have better things to do." while looking at him, hand in her hair, biting her lower lip. He shook his head and walking over said quietly, "What the hell's wrong with you tonight? I know I make you nervous, but seriously."

"It's not you." Angel grumbled as she looked at him a minute and then said "Stuff happened earlier this week.."

"I heard.. The cops were here, right? Your dad broke in?" Tate asked, concern creeping into his voice whether he wanted it to or not. He smirked to himself as he realized what this was about, while also fighting off a really bad feeling.. How much longer until he couldn't just explain things away, how much longer until she didn't believe his lies, demanded the truth and walked away when he gave it to her?

Violet hadn't been able to handle the truth and he'd messed her up so bad that she'd overdosed rather than just distance herself.

"Yeah. That's not it though." Angel said as she paced a little then said "Someone or something bashed him in the head.. The cop who came said it's a wonder he didn't bleed out and die. He might have if I hadn't pushed the panic button on the alarm.. It's just.. Nevermind, it's stupid. You'd laugh your ass off.." Angel rambled, a little more than nervous. She was out of her element, she didn't know how to do this, this making friends thing.. If people liked her, they liked her. If they didn't, they didn't.. That's how she usually operated anyway.

Until this guy.

For some reason, he kept getting under her skin, even if he weren't around to actually do it. It annoyed her and made her curious about what there might be about him that caused this.

Tate took a deep breath and said calmly, "What?"

"Someone had to do that. I mean candlesticks that heavy don't just fly off of shelves.. Right?" Angel asked as Tate nodded and then said quietly, "Any ideas who?"

Angel shrugged, paced a little more and then said "I don't know.. I mean I was prepared to shoot him if it meant getting out of here in one piece or something.."

Tate sighed and said quietly, "I'm gonna be honest.." taking a few deep breaths.. Okay, so he wasn't going to be totally honest, obviously, but he was going to at least tell her he'd done it. He wanted to tell her, actually.. Maybe then she'd realize he actually did sort of like her, whether he wanted to or not.

"What?"

"I saw him come in.. So I snuck in and when I thought he was gonna go for you, I grabbed something and hit him with it.. Made my mom lie because I didn't want to get into any more trouble. I get in trouble a lot, not a good guy." Tate lied as she looked at him, brow raised, debating on whether it was the truth or not.

He almost seemed to be bragging about it, she mused, which he wouldn't, if he hadn't done it.. But he did know all that stuff about her.. She looked at him a few minutes then said finally, "Oh.. I umm.. I thought it might have been me imagining shit.."

"Well, it wasn't. I did it. But it's probably a good idea not to mention it to anyone, okay? Like I said.. I get into trouble a lot." Tate lied again, feeling a split second's guilt at lying as Violet's last words came back to haunt him and he winced at the sting of them as he heard them repeat in his mind.

She'd been angry that he'd done the things he'd done, to her mother, and that she'd fallen for him, and that he'd done the things he'd done and not told her.. Logically, he wasn't sure still why any of it mattered.. Hadn't she seen how much he actually did care about her? Before her, nothing else mattered but what he'd wanted, what he'd felt.

Now, he was torn and he hated it. He didn't want to like Angel, but the more time he spent around her, the more time he spent watching her when she didn't realize he was, the more he realized he actually couldn't fight. He couldn't just shut down his feelings. He hadn't been able to with Violet, either and look where that'd gotten him.

Then there were parts of him that felt guilty, felt like he was betraying Violet's memory, his promise to her when he'd tried to use the Ouija board in one of the rooms of the house to contact her.. He'd told her he'd wait forever for her.. Even though he knew they'd never be on the same plane of existance, or even remotely close, ever again.

He was stuck here, after all, she'd crossed over. No thanks to her damn father.

"Yo.. Tate.. You okay?" Angel asked him in concern as she looked at him. He looked like he was having one hell of a mental battle currently, he looked like whatever he was thinking about, it hurt him. For some bizarre reason, it worried her.

She shook it off and said casually, "Gonna go grab sodas and chips."

"Okay."

She slunk out and into the kitchen, Tate sat down on the sectional in the living room, taking a few deep breaths. It didn't help, but it did give him something to distract from the overwhelming burst of emotional turmoil he felt as of late. Why'd she have to move into this damn house? He didn't want to like her. He honestly wanted to forget anything about Violet, and not feel anything for anyone.

The door slid open a few minutes later, and he'd just closed his eyes, just thinking about everything, how shitty all of it was, how he didn't want to lose out on this girl too, but at the same time, he didn't want to be a good guy again, it'd hurt him the last time he tried, when he peeked out of one eye, came face to face with a battered and beaten all to hell hockey mask.

"Ooh.. And I thought you weren't afraid of shit, Langdon." Angel joked as she fell down onto the couch, held out a bowl of sliced green apples, caramel drizzled over them and two sodas. "Thanks.. For the other night.. And you don't have to worry, Tate, I'm not gonna tell anyone it was you that bashed his head with the candlestick. I mean hell, I can't say anything, really, I was gonna shoot him in the ass and he's my father..."

"So that's why you had the gun.."

"Mhmm. I mighta missed him until now? If he'd have stood still for one damn second, my aim woulda damn sure improved." Angel said as he looked at her a moment, brow raised. She shrugged and said "So.. Let's get this shit over with, shall we?"

He nodded, she opened her books, scooted a little closer to him on the couch. Maybe what he'd done a few nights ago sort of got him a better way in, a better hold on her. He hoped to hell it had because he hated this, the whole process. If he didn't want to know her so badly, if he weren't borderline obsessed with her now, because she made him 'feel things' again and he missed that since he'd lost Violet, he wouldn't have been bothered.

Her hair brushed his arm at one point and he coughed then said with a smirk, "Home alone again?"

"Mom's at some fancy ass Italian place with Dr. Harmon from 2 houses down. Maybe they'll have a good time. She better bring me back some fetuccinni." Angel said as Tate looked at her a moment and she said with a shrug, "What? I'm a growing girl, man."as their eyes met for a few seconds, him smirking when as usual, she got nervous and broke eye contact first.

"You have caramel.." he muttered as he leaned in, trailed his thumb across her lower lip, just to see what she'd do if he touched her. She jumped a little then mumbled an apology before dropping her gaze to her books again, her skin blushing bright red beneat her usual olive skin tone.

He licked his thumb slowly, shot a glance at her as he did it. He noticed her eyes seemed to almost glow a golden brown right now, they looked like melted chocolate. She leaned in and said quietly, "Why do you keep doing this shit?"

"Doing what?"

"Flirting with me, Langdon. Why?" Angel asked, looking up at him in curiousity as he shrugged and said with a wink, "Because I wanna, okay? Why do you question every damn thing someone does?"

"Because, Langdon, I ain't exactly the kinda girl most guys flirt with.. Have a few drinks with, hang out with to watch tv yeah.. But I'm not.. I'm not that girl, okay?" Angel said as she looked at the book between them, biting her lower lip.

He made her very, very nervous. There was something dark about him, but she felt drawn to it. Because after all, even if nobody knew it, she had her own hidden darkness too. She wasn't some innocent and perfect girl, not by any means. She was still very much wary of him, but she couldn't deny that the wariness was also accompanied by curiousity, attraction, wanting.

It just felt weird to her, to be that aware of someone. To have that much in common with someone. Tate happened to look over, catch her staring at him and he asked with a smirk, "Like what you're lookin at?"

"Maybe.. Or maybe I'm just tryin to figure out which end's your ass and which is your face, Langdon." Angel mused as she held his gaze, biting her lower lip. She wanted to lean in, just pull him into a forceful kiss, nibble on that lower lip of his. The urge to do this very thing actually scared her shitless beyond all belief. "Now I'm going to ask you.. Are you okay, Evangeline?" Tate asked as Angel glared and said "And just when I wanna do something, you go and ruin it by calling me that name."

"I told ya.. I like it. If I wanna call you Evangeline, I'm gonna call you Evangeline." Tate stated as he held her gaze, curious gleam in his eyes.. There was this weird fiery look in her eyes right now, he couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on in her head.

The sound of the landline phone in the house ringing had her grumbling, standing and going to the kitchen where it was located, answering it, swearing as once again for about the 6th time that week, she heard heavy and creeper like breathing, as an older male's voice whispered quietly, "You're all going to die soon. Everyone dies there."

"Fuck you asshole." Angel swore as she slammed the phone back on the cradle. She turned around, found herself chest to chest with Tate, who eyed her and then the phone. "Who was that?"

"Some fuckin asshole who's gonna die if I ever find out who he is and how he got this number." Angel said as she noticed how close they stood, how his hand rested casually at her hip. He smirked and leaned down, whispered casually, "I see you looking at me.."

"And?"

"And.. If you want to do something, Evangeline.. just do it already." Tate challenged, watching her as she went wide eyed, coughed a little nervously.

"If I did, Tate.. I would." Angel said seconds later as the wide eyed look was gone and her usual cocky smirk was back in place. Tate leaned a little closer in and shaking his head he said "And I think you're afraid.. Why are you afraid, Evangeline?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

She glared at him a moment and tried to move past him but his arm kept her pinned against the wall of the kitchen, his free hand resting at her hip as he continued, "Do I make you nervous? Even a little? Because I kind of think I do.. And I like that."

She smirked as she moved closer and then said quietly, "If you made me nervous, Langdon.. You wouldn't be here with my mother gone. Not like other girls. The way I figure it? You're about as harmless as a bag of kittens.. A little creepy sometimes, but hey.. Normal people scare me." as she bit her lower lip and her eyes darted down to the shirt he wore, which said the same thing, before looking back up at him, winking, ducking beneath his arm and walking back into the parlor where they'd been attempting to study but not getting much done at all.

"A bag of kittens, huh?" he puzzled for a moment, laughing to himself as he muttered quietly, "If you say so, Angel." before joining her in the parlor again, this time he watched her intently as she worked on some essay for English.

What was it about her that he couldn't just get out of his system? If he hadn't been affected in some way by the whole thing with Violet, if this were the old Tate Langdon, he'd have her bent over the sofa, fucking her nine ways to Sunday..

But he had changed a little. Not much, but a little..

He wasn't sure if he liked it.

He grumbled as the mental image of doing that very thing to her, pulling her long dark hair as he pounded her hard and fast filtered into his mind and he had to shift in his seat a little, cough. Angel looked up and held out the paper, he stared at her blankly for a moment, then took the paper, scanned it over.

"It works." he said casually as he looked up, found her watching him, brow raised, sitting closer to him than she had been seconds before. She didn't say anything at first, but after a few intense moments, she smirked and leaned in, said casually, "I think, Tate.. I think that I scare you maybe a little.. That's why you're constantly trying to make me nervous. Let's just drop the bullshit."

He coughed a little as she moved to sit on his lap, just to screw with his mind a little like he seemed to enjoy doing to her since they'd met. She trailed her finger along his lower lip and leaned in, said quietly, "You.. Are totally freaking out right now."

"I'm not, actually.. But you might not wanna start something you won't finish, Angel.. Playing with fire gets people burned." Tate mused as he eyed her, thinking she'd back off, stop trying to take what he did to her, turn it around on him.

He wasn't used to a girl taking his own tricks and throwing them right back.. if only he'd known her when he'd still been among the living..

If only he'd known Violet..

If only he hadn't done so many damn shitty things.

"Guess nobody told you I'm sort of into living dangerously." Angel murmured as she gripped his black t shirt, leaned on him heavily, pulling his lips to hers. She wasnt intending on doing this, taking things this far, but she honestly wanted to see just how much it would actually take to shove him away, send him running like a lot of other people tended to do where she was concerned...

He grunted and his hands rested at the small of her back, his fingers just beneath the t shirt she wore currently, trailing lazily along her warm soft skin. His skin was almost always cold he hated it.

She nipped at his lower lip and then gasped as he nipped her own lower lip harder, gripped her back with his hands much harder as if he were trying to call her bluff.

Moira coughing in the doorway, she'd shown up to clean, Angel had completely forgotten about it being her cleaning day, had the two teens springing apart, Angel biting her own lip and looking at Tate with a really confused expression.

Moira gave Tate a dirty look and then mustered a smallish smile as she asked quietly, "I'm not interrupting?"

"We were just, ummm..." Angel said, for once in her life at a loss for words currently. Tate, however, stood and pulled her up off the couch said to Moira, "We were just going to go outside actually."

Before she could say anything, she found herself outside. She looked up at him and he said quietly, "That lady makes me nervous."

"Really.."

"Really. She freaks me the fuck out, actually." Tate lied as he looked at Angel then said casually, "What the hell did you do that for just now?"

"You kissed back, Langdon." Angel mused as she studied him intently, at a loss for words. She actually didn't know what came over her in the parlor, or why she'd straddled his lap like that, kissed him. She'd started out with the intention to make him bolt, but when he didn't and she kept going, things kind of got a little fuzzy.

Headlights in the driveway had Tate saying quietly, "Gonna go. See you around." as he made a hasty retreat to the side of the house and into the basement he called home, as soon as he knew Angel was inside the house and couldn't see.

Bianca eyed her daughter as she walked into the living room and asked, "What happened to you?"

"Nothing, mama."

"Your face is all flushed, Angel. You're feeling okay, right?"

"I'm fine, mom." Angel said through gritted teeth as she tried like hell to get the whole mental repeat of that kiss just now out of her head by focusing on Halloween, a movie playing on the chiller network. When that didn't work, she stood and said abruptly, "I'm gonna go to sleep. But tomorrow, mom.. I wanna hear all about your date with Dr. McSexy."

Bianca watched her daughter walking up the stairs and then muttered to herself, "And now I know something is up. It's only 9 pm on a Saturday. She never goes to sleep early." before standing, smiling a little to herself as she spotted the red rose Ben gave her when he'd shown up to pick her up earlier.

Ben was a nice guy.. Sure he had a past, he'd done things that weren't pretty.. But he was nothing like the monster she spent half a lifetime married to and he made her happy.. She wondered if letting him get close to her this soon was a mistake..

Maybe she and Angel should talk tomorrow, discuss what'd been going on in both of their lives lately, she could feel Angel out about her possibly being interested in Dr. Harmon.

After all, this was their second chance, was it not?


	7. Intermission I Whisper In My Ear

**INTERMISSION 1**

**1945**

_The night was hot. It was almost sweltering, not unusual for this part of the country, really. Julia lie there in her bed with the window open, listening to the sounds outdoors. The house was big, too big really for a single woman living alone, a woman who'd just gotten out of a bad relationship with a man who left for war one way, came home a monster._

_But it'd been cheap and she needed a roof over her head. Her hand went to her stomach, rested there as she sighed forlornly and looked at the clock on her nighstand, looked at the picture of her with Hal on their wedding day. "I wish this could be fixed."_

_Down the road, a car going by had her sitting up, looking around, hand in her thick red hair as she pursed her lips. She felt alone, isolated almost. At first, when she'd bought the place, she'd thought that maybe isolation, a little time to adjust, to try and get her life back together was exactly what she needed._

_Now with a baby on the way, she wasn't so sure. She didn't want to do this alone, without Hal, but she didn't want to keep living with him the way he'd returned to her, either. A noise in the night had her jumping, flinching a little before muttering softly, "It's nothing." and closing her eyes to sleep._

_She never woke up the next morning. At exactly 9:45 am, a neighbor found her face down in the middle of her bed, blood pooling beneath the body, a white sheet stained with her blood around her naked form. When the police went to question Hal, he confessed and said over and over that the voices made him do it, that the house made him do it._

_He'd been visiting her earlier in the week, attempting to get her to return to him, and he'd spent a night over when she expressed concern about noises at night, whispering in the dark.. He claimed that the entire time he'd been there, he'd heard voices, even been controlled by some outside force that ultimately wound up with him killing his wife as she slept.._

**SIX**

**Whisper In My Ear**

_**I Like That Kind Of Stuff**_

"What the hell is that thing, Mom?" Angel asked as the two women worked on clearing out the attic. Her mother wanted to make some kind of home office / study or something, so they were working on cleaning out the attic, preparing for that.

"I don't know but it's creepy to look at." Bianca said quietly as she strained to hear. She kept hearing her name being whispered quietly, she had been for the better part of a week now. She ultimately shrugged it off as she normally did, but in the back of her mind, she kept a dull awareness that it was happening. The nature of the house was shifting, it seemed dangerous. It had since her former husband broke in and tried to do god only knew what to both of them most likely, but he'd only managed to scare the hell out of Angel, even if Angel didn't admit it or even talk about it, and get himself thrown in jail, get a restraining order placed on himself.

Since then, she and Dr. Harmon had actually gotten just a little closer. He was grieving, he needed friends, she kept telling herself this. He made her feel comfortable, he was there whenever she just wanted to stop in after work, talk about her day, tell him the things that Angel was probably too young to even be remotely interested in talking about with her mother. A mutual friendship was growing between the two adults, and lately, it seemed like, even if there was this heavy tense air constantly around Bianca, the lives of herself and her daughter were actually slowing down. Even Angel seemed to be settling down a little.

She spent a lot of time with the Langdon boy who tutored her, Bianca still wasn't sure how she felt about that, especially considering the one or two things Ben admitted about the kid, from the time he'd been the kid's shrink.

But he made Angel smile, and right now, that's what her daughter needed, she didn't dare take that away.. Her own mother had forbidden her from seeing Angel's father in the beginning, look how that had ended up for them all..

She just didn't want Angel getting some wild idea in her head and sneaking off to elope with Tate Langdon. If she realized just how impossible the odds of that were, she'd have been a lot less ill at ease where the two of them were concerned, but she was unaware of the true nature of the boy, how he wasn't alive any longer, merely a violent ghost who died a horrible death and had to remain in this realm as punishment for crimes and sins committed.

"Throw that into the burn pile.. I'm not sure I want it sticking around here, to be quite honest." Bianca said as Angel nodded and picked up a nearby ancient garden tool, hoisted the rubber suit and threw it into a nearby growing pile of other things they intended to burn to get out of their way.

A box slid off of a long forgotten bookshelf, and fell open. A t shirt fell out, along with a large photo album. Angel sat down, intending on picking the box and it's contents up and putting them into the burn pile with the rubber suit they'd just found, but instead, she found herself going through the box. And learning a lot about a few of their houses past residents, including their descendant, the man who'd built the place.

"What have you got, Angel?"

"Nothing Mom." Angel said as she shoved the box out of sight, held up the t shirt and remarked, "I think I'm gonna keep this.. Can I put it in the laundry for Moira to wash later on?"

"Go ahead. Don't get in Chad's way, you know how he is when he's in decorator mode." Bianca said as Angel snickered, kept her comment about the obvious status of both their gardener and their "decorator" to herself. It wasn't her place to comment, even if it did give her the willies for one reason or another.

She skipped down the stairs and caught sight of the clock, the time. Tate hadn't been able to tutor her, according to Ms. Langdon, when she'd picked up Addie earlier. For some reason or another, this had pretty much set the tone for Angel's entire afternoon. Things just went by slowly, and almost agonizingly. He'd been avoiding her since the whole kiss thing.

Moira jumped as she heard the door to the laundry shut loudly, heard Angel, the teenage resident of the house calling her name. "Yes?"

"I wanted to see if you'd wash this? Looks like a comfy shirt. Don't see why it should go to waste." Angel said as she dangled one of Tate's old shirts between her fingertips. Moira paled a moment but recovered with a cough as she took the shirt, put it into the washing pile. Angel lingered a few moments and then said "No, forget it."

"What?" Moira asked as Angel said quietly, "That guy, the one who tutors me.. I think I mighta scared him off.. And I intended to do it.. Now that I might of.. Not so sure that's what I actually want.. I mean my mom, I love her, but she's not his biggest fan.. Dr. Harmon told her some crap about him.."

"Maybe Dr. Harmon is right." Moira said as Angel sighed and then said quietly, "Maybe.. Or maybe he's not as right as he thinks he is.. I don't know, so much about the damn guy confuses me.. I just.. I know you were a hottie at my age.. And I thought.."

"You thought you'd ask me what to do so you didn't argue with your mom for the 3rd time in a week, right? Because you know what she'll tell you." Moira ventured, wishing she hadn't broken out her old photos and Angel hadn't seen them. She'd been a bad person back then, not someone she'd want a daughter to emulate. Especially with the boys.

"Yeah, exactly." Angel murmured as she said "But it's cool.. Maybe just forgetting the whole thing is best.. I mean the guy was probably just flirting with me first to get a rise out of me.. When I decided to throw it back at him, he bailed." before turning to walk out.

Moira stopped her as she said quietly, " Maybe forgetting is the best thing.. There are better boys at your school, aren't there?"

"They're all assholes.. Like, I let my friend set me up with a guy a few days ago.. he felt me up and I busted his nose open. So.. My phone isn't exactly ringing off the hook.. I mean not that I mind.. It's just.. I know my mom thinks it's not normal, me spending so much time here or out with the girls and not flirting and trying to be all sexy with the boys.."

Moira studied the girl a moment and then said with a smile, "It'll come, Angel. In the meantime, maybe you should try to forget that boy, yes? I mean you already seem to know your mother dislikes him." as Angel laughed and said "I just wanted to talk to someone.." as she lingered a moment and then left the room, her mind made up.. She'd forget about the kiss, she'd make herself stop thinking about the guy and she'd put it all out of her head.

It was that simple.

Upstairs, Bianca sat looking through the box, shivering at some of the news reports. If they were right, this house had only ever attracted death and violence and destruction. It'd only broken things, it'd never fixed them. She gaped at the papers in her hand in horror and for a split second, she felt like the worst parent in the world for moving Angel somewhere with a history like this house had.

But Angel seemed unaffected by it for the most part. She'd always been an odd child, Bianca had loved that about her daughter. Now she worried that the house not bothering Angel was a sign that something might be wrong with her daughter.

Something she couldn't fix.

_'Young skin practically melts off the bone, Bianca.. If you finish her now, you'd be saving her from far worse in the long run. If you are a good mother, Bianca, you will end her life before it's ruined.' _the voice whispered into her ear as a cold breeze caressed her cheek.

The attic door slamming shut and Angel calling her name loudly had her snapping out of her daze, feeling disturbed by what had just happened. She threw the box into the burn pile. Whatever had made her think those things, picture those things, she wanted no part of it in this house.

And like it or not, they were stuck in the house, they had no money to go anywhere else. Her work was here, Angel was doing better here, they were supposedly getting their lives back on track, getting a fresh start.

But the darkness seemed to be looming a lot more lately. As if on cue, a thunderous loud clap from the sky sounded, Angel gasped and swore to herself across the room, her hand on her chest as she looked out the window. "Damn it."

"What's wrong?"

"It's really pouring down out there.. Want me to make sure the roof's not leaking downstairs again?" Angel asked as she stood, for some reason just wanting to get out of this attic. She felt like she were being watched again, she didn't like it.

"Yeah. There are some pots underneath the kitchen island if it is." Bianca said as she watched her daughter walking out of the room, shaking her head, still shaken about the bizarre whisper she'd heard just now, how it'd crept in with no warning, how it'd almost had her enticed to go downstairs and find her daughter, chop her up into little pieces just to save her from some form of ultimate evil.

Downstairs, Angel put a pot beneath the corner near the pantry and looked around, eased her cigarettes and lighter out of the pocket of the shorts she wore and ducked out onto the patio, sitting on the brick half wall that surrounded it, lighting up the cigarette.

She nearly screamed when the hand shot over her mouth and a voice from behind her whispered "Miss me?"

She turned and saw Tate standing there, eyeing her intently, his arms crossed as he stated calmly, "You're gonna get sick out here."

"Asshole. Why in the fuckin hell would you do that?" Angel asked as Tate looked at her a moment, began to pace in front of her, his hands in his curly mop of wet dark blond hair. She snickered a moment but his glare silenced her.

"I wanted to stay away. I tried to stay away."

"Look, the other night.. Let's just call it a mistake or something and leave it alone.. I mean I just.. I was doing it to mess with you.. Like you were doing with me.." Angel said as he looked up at her, a hurt look in his eye for a moment as he said calmly, "You don't mean that."

"Hey.. I'm not the one avoiding me." Angel waved her hands as she exhaled, stretched a long leg across the wall she sat on and then said aloud, "Because that's what you're doing."

"It's not, damn it. I kissed back. I mean I didn't wanna at first.." Tate blurted as she looked at him, said quietly, "Yeah, I kinda figured that." as she stood, went to walk into the house, saying over her shoulder, "Just go, Tate."

He stopped her, pressing her into the wall near the back door of the house, his hand gripping her hip roughly as he pulled her into another kiss. Smirking as he pulled his lips off of hers he said with a wink, "When I want something, I get it."

Angel raised a brow then said "So?"

"You're mine." Tate muttered darkly as he looked at her, waited on her to say something. She bit her lower lip and then said calmly, "You're sure about that, huh? Because last time I checked, Langdon, I wasn't some fuckin possession or something." while eyeing him intently, holding on to his soaked gray t shirt, looking up at him, biting her lower lip, trying to keep herself from caving in like she seemed to want to do around him for one reason or another.

"It's not a possession thing, Evangeline. It's me stating a fact. I want you. I fixed this whole thing so I'd have a way to talk to you." Tate said, playing the 'shy' card. She didn't know how manipulative he could be, how charming he could be.

She also didn't know how he felt about her and how hard it'd been to make himself stay away, distance himself from her, just because he didn't want to go down this road again, he didn't want to lose someone again.

He'd stayed away because he wanted the old Tate back, he wanted to go back to being a psychotic crazy bastard who hated the world. But Violet had changed him and this girl.. She was getting to him too. She was fast becoming someone he cared about, even if he'd die again before admitting it to anyone.

Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket, seconds later a song called Swimming Pools began to play and she grumbled and said "And this loser ass motherfucker calls again."

"Who?" Tate asked as she held up a finger, shushing him, stepping off of the patio to get better reception. He heard the guy's voice and his anger surged, he gripped the brick wall and growled to himself as he watched her.

Angel hung up the phone and Tate snatched it, asking her with an angry expression on his face, "Who the fuck was he?"

"A guy my idiot friend Amiee set me up with. If you watched me as much as you claim to, Langdon, you'd know that I've spent the better part of this week trying to avoid the fuckin douchebag. And I kinda busted his nose."

Tate snickered a moment and then asked "Why?" in amusement.

"Because, damn it, reasons.. His hands like to wander. My fists like to punch." Angel said as she looked at Tate and then asked with an amused smirk, "Jealous?"

"Who, me? Nope. I told you already. When I want something, I do what it takes to get it. No matter what it takes.. This guy.. Does he mess with you a lot?"

"Only days that end in Y.. But it's a new age, Langdon. Girls are able to kick ass and defend themselves. I mean if that's what you were asking for." Angel said as Tate fought to control the anger he felt at this unknown jerk.

He nodded instead and then asked "Can we go in?"

"Yeah.. Be quiet though, my mom's upstairs... Don't really feel like being grounded." Angel said as she smiled a little, grabbing his hand, racing past Moira in the study downstairs, slamming the door to her room shut.

Tate flopped on the bed and Angel tossed one of his own old shirts at him. He smirked to himself and then said "Thanks." as Angel shrugged and said "Not a problem. Does your mom know you snuck out?"

He lied quickly and said "Nope.. She's probably doing some guy in her room while Addie watches Dora. I had to come over.." while thinking about what she'd admitted to Moira in the laundry earlier.. He'd heard the entire thing. He'd known then he had to at least show himself again. He'd realized that maybe she felt something towards him too.

But he dreaded when the truth would come out.

She flopped onto the bed beside him after sliding the lock on her bedroom door shut and rolling over onto her side she asked with a smirk, "So.. Why'd you have to come over? I mean it's almost 11 at night and it's freezing rain outside... What was so important, Langdon, that you had to come over?"

" I wanted to see you, damn it." Tate said as he gave her a dirty look and then said " Your mother's not out with Dr. Harmon tonight?"

"He had a patient tonight. She decided to clean out the attic. We found this hideous suit thing, thing was kind of fuckin creepy, to be honest. Oh.. And I found these awesome news articles.. About this damn house.. For an old shithole, it's had one hell of a history." Angel said as she lit a candle when the power flickered, went out.

Tate slipped his arm around her and then said with a smirk, "So.. Did you really mean all that stuff you told your cleaning lady earlier?"

"What the fuckin hell, Langdon? You listen at doors now?" Angel asked, smacking his arm as she gave him a dirty look and then said quietly, a softer look in her eyes for a moment, "Maybe I did. What's it to you?"

He said nothing, instead, he pulled her partially on top of him, his arm going over her. She stayed stiff against him for a moment, and then she said quietly, "So.. Powers out, it's raining."

"We could always explore the house in the dark." Tate suggested as Angel grumbled and said "Umm, no.. Because if my mother sees you in here after 9 she'll have a fit. She's so old fashioned like that."

He chuckled and then said quietly, "Didn't you tell me you liked living dangerously?"

"Oh haha, use my own words against me, Langdon." Angel said as he captured her lips in another intense and slightly less forceful but still forceful all in the same kiss, his fingers trailing along the bare exposed strip of skin above her pajama bottoms as he suggested, "Or.. We could just lay here and make out." giving her a pout when she scowled at him and laughing a little said "We could, but.. If we keep going, Langdon, someone's gonna have to turn the hose on me. You're making me all hot and shit."

"That's kind of the point, Evangeline." Tate said as he rolled them over so that she was beneath him, he was on top of her. She laughed as he held her down, smirked and said quietly, "Our mothers would probably kill us, ya know?" having no idea that unlike her, he technically had no curfew, no mother/son parental bullshit to worry about. He hadn't before he died, but in the afterlife, he had even less.

"Fuck what she says." Tate said boldly as Angel giggled and nodding said "Yeah, I kinda get why you'd say that." her thumb trailing along his lower lip, his lip quivering involuntarily as he muttered quietly, "You keep doing that, I'm gonna need a hose." while looking at her a few moments.

She laughed and said quietly, "Sure you will." as she rolled out from beneath him. Her mother called her name and for a moment her eyes widened. Tate ran to the closet, stepped in. The door to her room opened and Bianca peered over her daughter's shoulder, said "Who's in here?"

"Nobody, Mom. Who the hell do I know to sneak in here?" Angel asked as Bianca studied her daughter for a moment. She hadn't ever been good at hiding when she was up to something, she certainly looked like she was up to something now and Bianca wasn't sure if she liked it. "I'm going to bed. I found some more shirts like the one you found in the attic, I took them down to Moira to wash. Don't stay up all damn night."

"Yes, mother." Angel said as she shut the door, motioned for Tate to come out of the closet and said with a laugh, "You need to go, stud. Before you make me cave in."

"But I want you to cave in." Tate said as he held her gaze, smirked, his hand trailing across the exposed strip of skin between the waistband of her pajamas and her t shirt, well his t shirt.

"That shirt looks good on you."

She shrugged and pointed him to the window firmly. Something about him still had her instincts screaming 'Run, run now and run far' but she hadn't ever really been a girl given to listening to her instnicts when she really, really, really wanted something, either.. She sank back down on the bed, smirked as she looked up at the ceiling. Maybe this move hadn't been an entirely bad thing.


End file.
